Lost Light
by fadedSorrow
Summary: Oneshot, just a scene of grown-up Hope and a dying Light.


No proper storyline, just a scene of Hope and Light. No idea where this idea came from… Thank you for reading.

Panic rose in him as he spotted pink amongst the grass in a distance.

'Light… LIGHT!'

His legs reacted before his mind could as he found himself dashing towards the figure on the ground. He whipped his communicator and screamed his approximate whereabouts before tossing it aside. When he stopped and scooted down close to the woman he had been searching for, a sinking feeling went down his gut and his chest constricted so much he almost couldn't breathe.

 _No… no no no no!_

Light, sprawled on the ground motionless, her eyes closed. Crimson red dyed her entire torso and pooled on the grass around her. From the condition of her outerwear, she must have been slashed diagonally across the front of her body. Blood smeared every part of her skin – all over her arms, her thighs, her fingertips, her face, even the ends of her pale rose hair. Her trusted weapon, the Blazefire Saber, laid forlorn beside her.

The longer he stared, the more he felt his sanity seeping away bit by bit. The strong, fearless, undefeated figure in his heart, broken and lifeless in front of his very own eyes. He tried to ignore the fact that the blood loss, even for Light, was too overwhelming. Almost too devastating to be salvaged.

'Light… please, please please please…'

Shakily he lowered his ear towards Light's face, his breath hitching in the absolute terror of the possibility that he had already lost her. He shut his eyes tight and mustered his concentration, a short relief overwhelming him when he felt a very small warm breath on his ear. Even from that tiny breath he could sense how laborious it was. As gently as he could, he shifted Light's shoulders onto his thigh and lay her head against his arm, his own blood going cold as his fingertips came in contact with the icy skin of Light's. He caressed the pale face, his own fingers smudged with red as he tried to wipe away the blood, _Light's_ blood staining that beautiful face, the face that had always shone with strength and hope, the face that he might never get to see filled with light ever-

 _No._ He bit back the stinging tears that started to form in his eyes, swallowing down his fear. _Light is going to be okay._ Even that thought was anything but firm. He knew how badly injured Light was. For once in his life, he cursed the fact that he hadn't a single ounce of magic in him to cast even a simple Cure spell.

'Light… Light… can you hear me Light… Light please wake up…' He motioned his hands up and down Lightning's right arm, hoping that he could provide some heat, then maybe her body wouldn't-

A soft, pain-filled cough caught his attention and immediately he noticed the small crack in Light's eyes, revealing a pair of pale orbs that seemed so distant, so far away that he couldn't reach with his two hands no matter how much he wanted to.

'H…ope?…'

His hammering heart fluttered for a moment at the sound of his name, before his mind registered how fragile, how powerless that voice was, barely even a whisper. His hand went to link with Light's, giving it a light squeeze through the blood-soaked glove.

'I'm going to get you out of here Light, the medics are coming and we will help you-'

Before he could carry Light in his arms, a weak but insistent tug on his shoulder stopped him. His own heart churned with pain as he watched Light shut her eyes and wheeze even more, her face contorted with anguish.

 _She doesn't even have the energy to cough properly anymore._

'It's…too… lat..e.'

He always knew that words hurt more than any physical damage did, and he knew that somewhere down the road in the future he was going to be at the mercy of Light's words. Someday, when we finally worked up his courage, he would finally express all the concealed feelings and sentiments that sprouted and flourished in his heart all those years. And when that comes, he would accept whatever rejection that would come his way. It was going to hurt, but he would be ready for it.

But not this. Hope wasn't ready for this. Not these three words. Not this situation.

Not this drowning, harrowing pain in his soul as he watched her fade away little by little.

'Cold…'

The feeble voice snapped him out of his own grief. Frantically he took off his sleeved uniform without shifting Light too much, covering her upper body as much as possible, leaving only his thin grey tank top on. Slowly he embraced the woman, her torso leaning entirely against him and her head on his right shoulder. He heard her take a sharp intake of breath, probably due to the pain of the contact of her torso wound with Hope's body. But then she relaxed, even managing to wrap a loose arm around Hope's lower back. Hope took in Light's scent, amidst the overpowering odour of iron that had been meshed together with her, feeling the warm bloody liquid soaking through his jacket and seeping onto his own shirt.

'You're going to be fine Light… You're the strongest, toughest, most amazing person I've ever met, and I know you can pull through this Light… I know you can.'

Even as he forced those words out of his trembling lips, even as he held Light as tightly as he could without causing her any additional pain, even as he hoped that his body heat could provide her with some comfort and extra time before help came, he knew that he was only delaying what was to come. And he knew that Light knew that too. They both knew too well how this thing was going to end.

But knowing didn't make it any less painful or difficult. The crushing blow of the inevitable fate squeezed the long over-due tears out of his eyes, his breath hitching as he held Light tighter, brushing her pink strands, pressing his lips to her head. He prayed for a miracle to happen, or at the least for the moment to freeze for eternity. Because he would rather be submerged in this pain and anguish with Light in his arms for all of time, than to endure a part of his soul ripped from him knowing that he would have to let her go.

Suddenly he felt the weight on his shoulders shifting, watching as Lightning brought her mouth nearer his ear.

'Let… me… see your face…last time.'

The breathless words struck him through his very bones as he lowered Light's head onto his upper arm, supporting her head so that she was facing him. The sight of her face that had become even more lifeless forced fresh tears rolling down his cheeks and he turned away briefly, not wanting Lightning to see such a weak side of him at the dusk of her life. But he felt something chilly touching his face, nudging his head to face in Light's direction. He gazed at her fading eyes, a ghostly smile on her lips. Her palm lingered on Hope's tear-stricken cheek before unsteadily moving to his forehead and caressing his bangs. The hand slid down to his eyes and wiped the moisture away. Hope let out a sob and gripped Light's hand with his free one, placing it over his cheek and holding it there. But the hand moved downwards to his lips, and the fingers shakily made a 'V' to lift both ends up.

His confusion only lasted for a moment before he realized Light's last request. He took a deep breath and cleared his mind, thinking not of the dying Light in his arms, but the one in his memories – the one that taught him to live, the one that promised to protect him, the one that told him to keep his eyes front while she took care of his back.

Because only then could he arise that feeling of bliss in his chest to muster the widest, truest, most sincere smile on his face as he gazed at the person he cherished the most in his life.

'Thanks, Light.'

Even then, those special three words didn't leave his mouth, because saying them now would cheapen the magnitude of his feelings. Because he knew that Light would understand, even if his words did not say it. And from then on, he would continue his life with a smile on his face because that was what Light had wanted him to do.

Those were the thoughts that enveloped his mind as the hand slipped down his face, landing on his lap. He watched as those eyes closed for the very last time, leaving only a trace of a smile.

Drowning out shouts that began to echo from a distance, he brought Light closer to himself, hugging the only woman he would ever love in all his lifetimes.


End file.
